FLIP Camera

This week I was working with an English teacher on creating videos for the Brainy Flix contest where students can submit videos using SAT and ACT words in mini skits.  The camera(s) we were allowing the students to use were Sony with Mini DV tapes.  I have some great software, but transferring short clips and mini DV's tapes is not the best situation to be in.

We realized that transferring the short films was a pain.  We also realized that kids do not know how to use a camera!  So I contacted my District Technology Coordinator and asked about getting a camera that had a hard drive to store the films on.  That way when mistakes are made, they could be deleted instantly, and downloading them to the computer would be easier.

So they decided to purchase a FLIP camera for me to use with the students.  I have never had one.  I also have never used one.....

SO, ANYONE WHO HAS USED ONE, PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH ME.  THANKS!!

Museum Box

Museum Box is a great website for Social Studies classes, but can be used for any subject because what you put in your museum box does not have to just be about a person, but it can be about an event, a place, or a historical period.  So you could use it across the curriculum to present an argument or or a description.  Within your Museum Box you can include a text file, a picture, an audio clip, and a video clip.  The site also gives you the ability to view and comment on other museum boxes.  Each Museum Box can have multiple layers, so you are not limited in space and what you can add.  You add one item to the box, and within that one item you add sub-items that relate to it.

The site also has a dedicated Teacher Resource Area where you can set up a school account.  From there you can add your students, or your students can log into the site and then select your school from a list.  Once your students have completed their Museum Box it will go to you for review and publication.

You can view a video about Museum Box on their site as well which will provide you more information.

What does Museum Box look like?  View the screen shot below to get an idea.  Below that are links to some sample Museum Box's from the website.

The Roaring Twenties

Martin Luther

Isaac Newton

William Shakespeare


Hopefully those samples give you an idea how you could use the site.  Some other ideas are:

• Create a Museum Box for your school
• Museum Box about Students or family as an ice breaker
• A Musuem Box about a field trip, club/organization/sports season
• A Museum Box about a Science Experiment or a Math Concept
• A Museum Box about your class throughout the year...a way to log students projects.

What ideas do you have?